STINK BEGONE

Condon and his colleagues discovered that polyethylene glycol and water worked just as well in generating silver particles of the desired size. Furthermore, they were able to coax nano-sized silver to form directly on the cotton fibers, eliminating any handling or storage of the antimicrobial agent. “This is a leg up for cotton over the synthetics,” which have not been amenable to silver nanoparticle treatment, he says.

The USDA found that polyethylene glycol and water worked just as well in generating silver particles of the desired size.

Together with Condon, ARS chemist Vince Edwards was also able to infuse non-woven cotton fabrics with lysozyme, an enzyme that destroys odor- or infection-causing microorganisms by slicing open their cell walls. Similar enzymes, Condon adds, have potential applications in biodefense, such as deactivating nerve agents by chewing up or “hydrolyzing” them.